The first of four community forums discussing the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education’s comprehensive review of CMS’ guiding principles and operations was held June 21. The review, titled “The Case for Continuous Improvement: A Comprehensive Review of CMS,” is intended to align decision-making in multiple areas, from transportation to use of facilities and funding, with the goals of the district’s Strategic Plan 2014: Teaching Our Way to the Top.

Public feedback is a key component in this comprehensive review and will help shape the Board’s work to improve district efficiencies.  

Approximately 300 parents, CMS staff and community members attended the meeting from 6-8:30 p.m. at Harding University High. Board chairman Eric C. Davis welcomed attendees in the school’s media center and explained the reason for the community discussion. 

“We want to listen and hear your thoughts and ideas to sustain and improve education in our community,” said Davis. “This is important work and it is essential that the community is part of this vital process.”

Attendees were divided into seven break-out sessions to discuss the district’s seven guiding principles. More than 40 people attended most sessions to share ideas and offer suggestions for improvements. At the conclusion of the hour-long sessions, participants returned to the media center where each session facilitator summarized the ideas and suggestions. 

Some of the suggestions and feedback: 

• The district must have a stronger academic focus at all schools for all students.
• CMS schools need to be more racially and academically diverse.
• Diversity and equality are essential and important to education.
• Magnet programs need to be better defined/explained and accessible.
• Shuttle-stop and bell-schedule changes place hardships on some parents and families; some changes may also present safety challenges.
• Boundaries and student assignment plans/process need to be easy to understand, logical, stable and consistent.
• School boundaries should not divide neighborhoods and limit parents’ choices. 
• Feedback from parents and community members must be part of the initial process when changing transportation, boundaries, student assignments and bell schedules.
• There needs to be more equality in the student-assignment process. 
• The district should be less test-and data-driven, and more focused on individual student achievement and performance.
• More distance/online learning should be implemented.
• Effective teachers should be retained.
• The small-school model works well and should be expanded across the district.
• Retaining small class sizes at all schools must be a priority; overcrowded classrooms are detrimental to learning and instruction.  
• Early intervention and testing for learning disabilities needs to be expanded.
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a strong community and it wants the best for all students.

Three more community forums will be held:

Tuesday, June 22: 6-8 p.m.
Government Center
600 E. 4th Street

Thursday, June 24: 6:30-8 p.m.
South Mecklenburg High (auditorium)
8900 Park Road 

Monday, June 28: 6:30-8 p.m.
Hopewell High (auditorium)
11530 Beatties Ford Road